In about the year 1830, in Central New York, there was a time of great
scarcity of provisions. Grain was very high, and difficult to be
obtained at any price; and, of course, families of limited means were
very much straitened. In one family, the wife and mother of six
children, a Godly woman, worked at her trade (tailoress) to the extent
of her ability, and prayed earnestly that God would deliver them from
pressing want. Husband and children all knew of their need, and of the
fervent prayers of the wife and mother for their supply; but no one knew
by what means the supply was to come. Every day, as their scanty means
were being consumed, the prospect grew darker. On the farm was a large
quantity of pine timber. Four miles from there, in the next town, lived
a man who needed some shingles; and, casting about him to see where he
should obtain a supply, thought he would go and purchase a pine tree,
and himself and man go into the woods and work it up into shingles. As
he was about starting, the thought occurred to him, "Perhaps they may be
in want of wheat flour--a bag cannot come amiss in this time of
scarcity." So, putting two bushels in a bag, he proceeded to the next
town, entered the house, and made known his errand, saying, "I have
brought along two bushels of flour towards paying for the tree, thinking
you might be in want of it in this time of scarcity, and I knew you live
six or seven miles from the mill, and have no horse." "That is in answer
to prayer," said the noble woman; and the husband believed it, though
not a praying man. When, at night, the oldest son came in, the mother
said to him, "God has answered our prayers, and sent a bag of flour." It
is believed that, while this was not miraculous, it was as directly the
interposition of God, as feeding Elijah by the ravens; and it was in
direct answer to prayer for that special blessing."
INCIDENTS FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A CITY MISSIONARY.--A PRAYER FOR SUPPER
ANSWERED.
An educated, accomplished lady, reduced to the very lowest round of
poverty's ladder, whom we shall call Mrs. X----, bears unfailing
testimony to God's hearing and answering the prayer of faith. The
daughter came up-stairs one day to announce the utter emptiness of the
larder. There was not even a piece of dry bread, nor a drawing of tea;
not a potato, nor a bean; and "Charles, poor fellow, will come home from
his work at six, tired and so hungry; what _shall_ we do, mother?"
"The Lord will send us something, before he comes," said Mrs. X----. So,
for three hours more the daughter waited. "Mother, it is five o'clock,
and the Lord has not sent us anything." "He will, my dear, before
half-past six;" and the widow went in an adjoining room, to ask that her
daughter might not feel it vain to call upon God. In fifteen minutes,
the door-bell rang violently, and a gentleman, valise in hand, said,
"Mrs. X----, I left the room which I hired of you one year ago, in a
great hurry, you will remember; and I owed you five dollars. I have not
been in the city since, and am rushing out of it again--jumped off the
car just to give you this money. Good-bye."